


I will find you before midnight

by burgundyice



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Aging, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Morning, Christmas Party, Emotions, Engagement, Established Relationship, Flashbacks, Growing Old Together, Husbands, Late Night Conversations, Living Together, M/M, Memories, Morning Kisses, My First Fanfic, No Plot/Plotless, No Spoilers, Old Married Couple, Snow, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-17
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-08-03 12:37:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16326380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/burgundyice/pseuds/burgundyice
Summary: “..there's just no way I would forget how shaky my hands were when I were putting a wedding ring on your finger or how cold and pale your cheeks were after waiting for me outside for so long.”Ash and Eiji are already happily married for over 40 years.As they are sitting together in their small flat and celebrating the end of a Christmas, they suddenly start to recall one of their most beautiful winter memories..





	1. late evening and early morning

**Author's Note:**

> this ship is one of the most important things in my life right now^^

_“It looks like today’s Christmas party was a total success.” Eiji sat on a small couch next to Ash, looking at the food leftovers and numerous plates piled up on the table in front of them._

_“Well, I'm not surprised. After all, it was me who planned everything so it couldn’t be otherwise.” The younger man answered, making a smug face at the sight of which Eiji couldn’t help laughing._

_“Dummy, as if you did something more beyond laying the table,” the raven-haired man said teasingly. “It was the Glenreed family that made all the dishes.”_

_“But I were looking after everybody,” the other one pouted his lips. “I may be 70 years old, but that doesn’t mean that I am useless.” Ash turned his face toward his husband, just to see the older man's amused face._

_Although the area around Eiji's eyes was already covered with a mesh of small wrinkles and gray strands began to appear between the black ones, his smile was as beautiful as ever. So many feelings and unforgettable memories were ensnared in it – at this view, Aslan’s heart always skipped a beat and he couldn’t be angry with the other man for too long._

_“Whatever,” he finally murmured. “I don’t intend to worry about insults coming from a sloppy Japanese.” Ash smirked, moving closer to Eiji._

_“You little-“ the raven-haired man didn’t finish his sentence. Instead, he took one of the pillows lying next to him and threw it at his husband, hitting him in the face. Ash hit him back at once and, next thing they knew, they were having a fiery pillow fight._

_“G-god, that’s enough,” Ash finally stammered, grabbing the left side of his chest. “Gimme a break, my heart’s beating like crazy.”_

_“Mine too,” Eiji answered, completely out of breath. “I guess we’re already a bit too old for such things.”_

_They were sitting for a moment in silence, trying to calm their restless breaths and hearts._

 

_“Max looks pretty good for his age,” Eiji finally spoke, changing the topic. “I thought he wouldn’t handle it after Jessica’s death, but he's keeping himself well somehow.”_

_“Yeah, you’re right. Who would’ve thought that with such a lifestyle he was leading, he would live to be 84 years old.” Ash recalled the times when he was working with Max. Back then, the older man used to drink over 5 cups of coffee a day. “Michael and his family look after him well.”_

_“That’s true,” Eiji smiled at the memory of the cheerful faces of the Glenreed family. “They’re such a lovely bunch of people. And Shorter! He’s a great grandfather.”_

_“And his granddaughter adores him so much. They are even similar to each other when they smile,” Ash added. “Wait, what's her name, again? I totally forgot.” As he tried to recall it, a little frown showed up on his face._

_“Her name’s Daiyu,” Eiji told him, sighing slightly and looking at the younger man with concern. “You keep on forgetting so many things recently.”_

_“That’s not true-” Ash tried to protest, but the other man cut him off quickly. “Soon, you will probably forget all about us. Our wedding, how we met and maybe even–" Eiji paused for a moment. He tried to sound carefree, but his eyes looked a bit pained. “e-even our engagement..”_

_“Do you really think that will happen?” Ash looked at his husband, utterly amazed. “I mean, maybe it's true that I have a worse memory lately, but-" , he suddenly smiled to himself. “There's just no way I would forget how shaky my hands were when I were putting a wedding ring on your finger or how cold and pale your cheeks were after waiting for me outside for so long.”_

_Eiji didn’t say anything but his hand found Ash’s and squeezed it tightly._

_In the dim light of candles still burning on the table next to them, two golden rings on their fingers were slightly shining - as if trying to remind them of a certain winter day so many, many years ago.._

 

_***_

 

25th of December, 40 years ago

 

Eiji was sitting on a windowsill, with his nose glued to the cold panes, admiring small snowflakes that noiselessly fell on the roofs of the surrounding buildings and the entire 40th street, wrapping everything down with a downy blanket.

New York looked magical – Eiji didn’t know whether it was because of the Christmas, or snow, or an early hour. Whatever the reason was, it made him unable to stop himself from observing this beautiful, winter scenery. Also, he didn’t really feel like coming back to his bed yet – not when the world outside seemed so alluring.

Suddenly, the raven-haired man heard footsteps behind him and before he could say anything, he was wrapped by a pair of strong, muscular arms. It was only then that Eiji realized how cold he felt, sitting alone in dark room. Ash nestled his face in Eiji’s neck, giving him a small kiss, his eyes still shut and slightly puffy.

“You realize that it is only 4 o'clock in the morning, don’t you?” Aslan’s voice sounded drowsy and it made Eiji feel a little bit guilty about getting out of bed at such an ungodly hour.

“I'm sorry, Ash. I didn’t mean to wake you up.” Eiji jokingly ruffled blond hair, only to see a small pout on the younger man’s face.

“You don’t have to apologize so much, that’s not it.. I woke up on my own. But when I did, you weren’t next to me, and I-” Ash didn’t finish his sentence, but Eiji felt that his boyfriend hugged him even tighter, as if he was afraid that Eiji could disappear at any moment, at any time. “Y-you.. just never leave my side. And the next time you can’t fall asleep, wake me up so we can sit like that together, okay?”

Eiji didn’t answer for a moment, trying to control this strange feeling in his chest that he had often felt during those 10 years he spent together with Ash. Before he met the blond-haired man, he’d never thought that happiness could be so painful, almost suffocating  – and yet, he treasured this new feeling the most in the world. Because, for him, it was a reminder of all the moments he spent with Aslan – of all those small shards of memories which he did not want to forget.

“Fine,” he finally said, breaking the silence. “Next time, I'm going to wake you up, so you’d better be prepared.” But deep inside Eiji knew that it was a lie; actually, he didn’t intend to do what he just said - recently, Ash worked a lot and the raven-haired man wouldn’t want to deprive him of those few hours of sleep for no reason. “But I'm afraid that if I do it, bags under your eyes will deepen even more.” Eiji turned to Ash and gently pinched the other’s nose. He said it in a playful tone, but he was really worried - being an investigative journalist was a demanding profession and Aslan didn’t have much time to rest, to Eiji’s despair.

Hearing his words, the younger man made an offended face. He was unexpectedly sensitive about his appearance - that was one of those things that Eiji noticed only when both of them started living together.

“Tch! You’re imagining things. My face looks just as good as always, I don’t have any bags under my eyes or anything like that,” Ash pouted his lips.

Seeing this behavior, Eiji couldn't help laughing. A few years ago, he would have never thought that this former gang leader is able to act so childishly and carefree. “It's all because of you,” Shorter once told him. Was it really? Eiji had no idea, but that didn’t matter. As long as he could see Ash’s cheerful face..

“At least, I'm still young, compared to certain someo-“ Ash didn’t finish because at the same moment Eiji turned to him, closing the other’s mouth with his lips.

When they finally let go of each other, they were both breathless. 

“We are together for over 10 years and you’re still like this, after just one kiss.” Eiji smirked, looking at Ash’s surprised face and deep, scarlet blush that showed up on his cheeks.

“S-shut up, baka,” the blond-haired man mumbled looking away, obviously embarrassed. “You caught me off guard, just you wait-”

Before Eiji had a time to realize, he was pushed down. The next thing he know, he was laying down on the floor, with his boyfriend at the top of him. Now it was Eiji’s turn to blush.

Seeing this, Ash started grinning.

“How’s that?” he said, moving his handsome face closer to Eiji’s. “You’re trapped now and I don’t think that I will let you go so easily.”

Hearing his boyfriend’s words, the raven-haired man smiled slightly and wrapped his arms around Ash’s waist.

“Actually,” he paused for a moment, “I’m fine with that. With you don’t letting go of me, that is.”

At that moment, jade-like eyes met brown ones as if telling each other things that words just couldn’t express and, just from that one, long stare, they both knew exactly what they wanted.

Ash bowed his head to kiss Eiji, his hands wandering all over the other’s chest when suddenly-

“BEEP BEEP BEEP!” A loud and persistent sound spread throughout the room, surprising the couple and making them stop everything they did. It took them a moment to realize that it was Aslan's alarm clock.

Ash dropped to the ground beside the raven-haired man, suddenly without any strength left. “Damn it, I don’t wanna go now.. I-I’m sorry Eiji, I will make it up to you tonight, I promise.”

“It’s fine.” Eiji patted his boyfriend gently on the head. Of course, he was a bit disappointed, but.. “After all, It’s not like we’re in a rush or anything. We still have plenty of time to spend together ahead of us, right?”

“Yeah,” Ash answered, looking fondly at the other one. “Many mornings and many Christmas like this. And many, many years, Eiji. It’s.. a promise.”

They both smiled at each other, thinking about the same thing – that neither of them would have ever expected their world to take on such a beautiful form, where they would be able to make such promises without fear that they will be left unkept.


	2. right behind the corner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is not much going on in this chapter; it's also much shorter than I originally planned (and i mean it's really, really short).. Anyway, enjoy :)

Lying on the bed, Eiji was looking closely at Ash who was preparing to go to work. Different thoughts circled over his head.

He was thinking about his relationship with the blonde-haired man - about the path they went through together which ultimately led them here. To a small flat in Manhattan in the dark of early winter morning, surrounded by their belongings, photos and souvenirs from holidays in Japan.

Eating, sleeping, kissing.  All of it overflowed in this small apartment. Eiji loved this cluttered place - even if it had witnessed not only pleasant moments.

During these years together, he and Aslan had many opportunities to hurt each other - most often unintentionally.  They argued so many times, often about trivial things. At some point, Ash even tried to push the raven-haired man away because he thought Eiji won’t be able to be happy with him.

“But even during the worst quarrels-” Eiji though, slowly dozing off “-for having you by my side.. I-I was always glad.”

He was almost asleep when he suddenly felt that Ash covered him with an extra blanket, stroking him gently on the cheek.

Without thinking, Eiji grabbed the hand of the other man and squeezed it lightly.

“Thank you,” he mumbled, half asleep.

Ash replied very quietly, almost on the verge of a whisper.

“Me too, Eiji. Thank you. And.. Merry Christmas.”

 

Eiji fell asleep peacefully, lulled by the soft howl of the wind outside and Aslan’s steps heading toward the door that echoed steadily through small flat.

***

As soon as Ash left the building, a cold gust of wind and snow enveloped him almost immediately. He had to force himself to not to come back to the warm apartment and to even warmer bed with Eiji in it.

Aslan sighed, pulled the hat even more on his ears and walked across the empty, snowy street, heading towards the Lobo's office.

He was already late and there was just no way he would tell Max reason why. Ash knew very well that the older man would tease him if he knew that he didn’t come on time because he was staring at the sleeping Eiji who looked as adorable and pretty as ever.

 

New York looked a bit merrier and more colorful than usual. Ash admitted to himself that those Santa Clauses and Christmas trees on almost every corner may seemed tacky but, surprisingly, he didn’t mind it. All these decorations made the atmosphere a little more special and he couldn’t help but feel excited.

“After all, it’s today that I decided to-” his hand instinctively went to one of the coat's pockets, finding two familiar metal objects that he was hiding there for some time already, waiting for the right moment. “And it would probably be difficult to find a better day than today, right?”

But actually.. some part of him wanted to delay all of it as much as he could.

“I’m not a coward nor I doubt that Eiji loves me. In fact, I still can’t believe how lucky I am to be with him. It’s the happiest feeling in the world. But then.. why does my chest feel so heavy?” he said to himself, frowning.

Ash suspected what this weird sensation was but he would never admit to himself that..

He was afraid.

Afraid that he was nowhere near good enough to be with Eiji. Afraid that their relationship will eventually fade away. And.. terrified at how he couldn’t anymore imagine his life without having the raven-haired man by his side.

“Stop thinking useless things, you stupid punk. There’s nothing to worry about.”

Clearly annoyed, he started running through an empty street just to chase that odd feeling away. It didn’t help much and only made him feel even more restless.

He was completely out of breath when he finally stopped around the corner of some old tenement house. As he was trying to calm down, his eyes suddenly caught a sight of a small bench in the back of the street.

He knew this place – it suddenly brought back some memory, almost completely forgotten.

 

_It was two or three years ago. Ash was coming home, exhausted after a busy day at work and in a bad mood because he hadn’t seen Eiji for two days already. He knew that the other would probably be asleep by the time he arrives at their shared apartment and that made him feel even worse._

_Aslan slowed down, pulling his legs._

_And when he came around the corner, the first thing he saw was the familiar silhouette, sitting on one of the benches. It was none other than Eiji, waiting for him._

_Ash remembered very well the moment when the other noticed him and the expression on the raven-haired man’s face._

_Next thing he knew, they were hugging and kissing in the yellowish light of the lamp above them. Until they knew nothing but the fact that they terribly missed each other and that only two of them could share this loneliness. For ever._

 

This old memory calmed Ash - all of his disturbing thoughts vanished in an instant. Once again, he put his hand in the pocket and squeezed two gold rings.

“There’s no going back now. I’ll do it tonight and give Eiji the most beautiful Christmas present.”

He raised his head and saw that the dark sky above him brightened a bit, now all covered with orange and yellow spots.

A sudden smile showed up on Ash's face. It was beginning to dawn and something in the way the sun rays illuminated the snow-covered street was telling him that it will be a really beautiful day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, now y'all know what Ash is planning to do but.. will everything go according to his plan? ;)  
> Stay tuned for next chapters^^


	3. waiting for the first star

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is pretty much a filler chapter (and rather crappy one too..) xd

It was already well past 10 a.m. when the loud sound of the doorbell woke Eiji up. He quickly jumped out of the bed, hurriedly dressing in Ash’s bathrobe that the other threw carelessly on the floor.

“Who can it be?” he wondered, heading towards the front door and fixing his black hair, now ruffled after sleeping.

When Eiji opened the door, the first things he saw were a large purple mohawk and an orange jacket all covered in snow - this could be only one person.

“Shorter, good to see you! Were it not for your hair, I never would have recognized you under this snow,” Eiji smiled when he saw his friend. “Come in quickly, you must be freezing”.

“Hello Eiji. As you can see, there’s a kinda big snowstorm outside,”  Shorter replied, shivering a little from the cold as he let the other take off his damp jacket. “But wait, did I wake you up?” He must’ve finally noticed Eiji’s outfit and his bed hair.

“N-not really, I were just about to get out of bed,” the raven-haired man answered, blushing a bit. “Anyway, what brings you here?”

“Really now, Eiji?” Shorter looked at him in disbelief . “Didn’t you call me late at night yesterday, begging for help in decorating and cleaning the flat? You were so scared that you won’t make it on time. By the way,” he paused for a moment. “What exactly happened? I was sure that you and Ash have already finished dressing the Christmas tree.”

“Well, we almost did. And I’m still not sure how it happened but-” Eiji looked down at the floor. “We.. knocked it down. By accident.”

“Huh? Guess all this festive mood carried you away a bit, didn’t it?”  Shorter said, chuckling. “That’s what you two got for cuddling everywhere and anytime.” It was supposed to be a joke but seeing embarrassed look on Eiji’s face.. Must have been a bull’s eye.

“Anyway, that’s gonna be a decent story to tell on every Christmas,” Shorter couldn’t hide his laughter anymore. “I wonder which one of you did it.”

“I don’t really know. Everything happened so suddenly.”

“I bet it was Ash. He completely doesn’t pay attention to what's going on around him when you're around.”

 Eiji didn’t know how to answer those words. He realized very well that Shorter has known Aslan for a long time and his opinions about him were usually true. That's why he felt a bit embarrassed right now. But at the same time, hearing Shorter’s words and knowing that he was special to Ash, he couldn’t help but feel warm inside.

“A-anyway, let’s get started, shall we?” the raven-haired man decided that it was time to change the subject - before his cheeks may became even redder.

“Okay,” Shorter answered, still grinning. “Let's take care of this poor tree.”

***

A few hours later, everything was ready. Eiji and Shorter stood in front of the Christmas tree admiring their work.

Traces of yesterday's accident were still visible – for tree being slightly crooked - but it really didn’t look that bad.

It sparkled with a lot of colors; gold and purple baubles, blue icicles, candies and red apples.

Eiji also set decoration in other places; Christmas wreath on the door, candles and angels on the table and window sills. And of course, he couldn’t forget about the mistletoe – every opportunity was good to steal kiss from Ash.

Thinking about it, Eiji started giggling.

“Geez, I think I know what’s on your mind now,” Shorter sighed, glancing at the mistletoe. “You two really are lucky to have each other. And I’m still single. Too bad.”

“Come on Shorter, don’t worry about such things today. And besides,” Eiji paused for a moment. “I’m sure you’ll find someone who deserves you soon. You are a great person, after all.”

Eiji took two cups of hot chocolate which he’d prepared a moment ago and one of them handed to Shorter. “Here, it’ll make you feel better. This is also a thanks for today's help.”

“Don’t mention it, Eiji. We are friends, right? You can call me whenever you want.”

They both sat at a table, sipping their drinks and enjoying each other’s company. After a moment, Eiji turned on the radio and the whole flat was filled with the sounds of Christmas songs.

 _“Last Christmas I gave you my heart but the very next day you gave it away,”_ – a well-known melody echoed throughout the room.

Hearing it, Eiji started laughing; Shorter looked at him with a question in his eyes.

“It’s nothing, really,” the black-haired man started explaining. “Just this song.. It’s a bit important for me and Ash.”

“You see, during our first Christmas together I didn’t know many English songs. Only this one. That's why whenever I heard it on the radio,  I started singing and forced Aslan to sing along with me. Of course, he always complained about it but in the end.. he did it anyway. We've always had so much fun doing it.”

“Ash singing Last Christmas? Nope, I won’t believe that guy could’ve ever been persuaded to do it.”

“But that’s true.”

“Then, I need to hear it. Eiji, please record it for me.”

“That’s probably gonna be difficult but I’ll try.” They started laughing at their secret plan.

A moment later Shorter said goodbye to Eiji. Before he went, they both had looked at the old photos together.

What caught Shorter's attention was the fact that Aslan was smiling on almost every picture. And it wasn’t just a smirk or a fake smile that the Chinese man remembered from the days when Ash was a gang leader. It was a genuine, warm smile.

Whether it was a photo taken in Izumo where Eiji’s family lived or in New York, he looked really cheerful. “To think that guy could change like that.. unbelievable.”

“Ash, I think I can now understand why you love Eiji so much. He saved you – in so many, many ways. Soulmates.. I don’t really know if that kind of thing exists but if it does, I would say that you guys are one.” Thinking about it and whistling lightly, Shorter headed for Chinatown.

***

Everything was ready. The table was set and beautifully decorated. The whole flat smelled of Christmas dishes and cakes. The guests arrived a long time ago – Jessica with Michael, Sing and Wong siblings. Alex, Bones and Kong were present too.

It all would look perfect if it weren’t for a one thing - Ash was still not here. Max too, but the absence of the former bothered the raven-haired man much more.

Eiji knew that Ash might be a bit late; recently he has had a lot of work but.. Two hours has already passed since the time they agreed on. Eiji tried to call the other but no one answered.

Jessica was getting more and more impatient too. Seeing her gloomy face, Eiji was glad that he wasn’t on a Max’s place.

The Japanese man went to the window to see whether Aslan was already close to their flat. Unfortunately, there was no sign of a blond hair and a familiar figure. “Maybe something happened to him,” a terrible thought crossed his mind.

Suddenly Eiji felt a gentle pat on the back of his head. It was Sing, looking at him with clear concern.

“Eiji, are you fine with this? With all this waiting?”

“Huh? That’s rather unusual question coming from you, Sing. Are you worried about me?” Eiji winked at the younger boy jokingly.

“W-whatever, just answer me, okay?” Sing muttered, putting his hands in the pockets of his sweatshirt.

“You know,” Eiji turned his head towards the window once again. “From the very beginning I realized that my relationship with Ash will require a lot of waiting. For different, different things. And.. I don’t really mind it. In fact, I could even say that I’m glad for all of this.”

“Umm, I see.”

“But that doesn’t mean that Ash will miss the punishment for today's lateness.” Eiji turned to the Chinese boy with a mischievous smile on his face. “Come on Sing, don’t make such a sad face. Let’s just play monopoly with others. I’m sure Max and Ash will be here any moment.”

Before they both left the window seat, Eiji glanced once more at the empty street.

“Ash, I’m waiting so.. please come home soon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your kudos and comments; I'm actually surprised that someone reads it lol  
> But I'm super glad for all of it^  
> See you next (last) chapter!


	4. all I want for Christmas is..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> god, I thought that I won't make it before Christmas :o But it's finally here, the last chapter!

“Damn. Damn it all. Why is nothing ever going my way?” Ash ran through the snowy streets of New York. Every once in a while passerbys turned to look at him but the blonde man didn’t care - he just wanted to be with Eiji as soon as possible.

He didn’t plan this day to look like that.

Ironically, everything went completely wrong.

At the very last minute, he and Max had to finish one more important reportage. His phone died and the taxi that he caught got stuck in a traffic jam. The florist in which he had ordered the flowers was closed long ago.

In the end, the only things he had with him were two rings.

“How am I supposed to propose like that?”

“Even so.. Eiji, please wait for me. A little bit more.” Ash started to run even faster. The home was still far away but Ash knew he can do it.

“I have to make it before midnight.”

***

“There are only a few streets left.”

Ash glanced at his watch. It took him more time to get here than he had originally planned but it was fine. He was already close to their flat, anyway.

Suddenly, he stopped running.

“Did I imagine it just now? Or was someone really calling me?” He looked around, trying to figure things out. But what made his heart beat a little faster was the fact that this indistinct voice seemed to be strangely familiar..

“Eiji? No, that’s not possible, what would he do-” And then Aslan saw the raven-haired man sitting on one of the benches and smiling at him.

“Hello Ash. Did you expect to see me here?” Eiji was looking at him with sparkling eyes.

For a good few minutes, Ash was totally speechless.

“Huh? What are you doing here?” He finally stammered. “Baka! Didn’t I tell you not to wander around so late at night? It isn’t safe at all!”

“But I got bored with waiting at home. And I thought we might as well meet halfway.”

Ash sat next to the raven-haired man, staring at him intently.

“Say Eiji.. aren’t you angry at me?”

“Of course I am. But you probably had good reasons to be late today so there’s no use in thinking about it now. Let’s just celebrate what we still have of this Christmas.” Eiji took Ash's hand. “Let’s go home together.”

They started walking in the direction of their flat, still holding hands.

“What are the others doing? They haven’t gone home yet, right?

“No, not at all,” Eiji answered, smiling slightly. “When I were leaving, Shorter and Sing had a competition to check which one of them could eat more gingerbreads. The others were watching some Christmas comedy.”

“Sounds fun.”

“I know, right? If we hurry, maybe we'll be able to watch the end of the movie. And eat some cookies if those two haven’t eaten it all already.”

“Eiji, wait.” Ash stopped walking abruptly. “Before that, there’s a one thing that I need to tell you.”

“Huh? What is it?”

“I.. err..” Aslan looked away. There were so many things that he wanted to say to Eiji in this place right now; and yet, no words seemed to be enough.  “Umm, never mind that,” he finally muttered.

“Is that so?” Eiji seemed a little disappointed. “Then let’s just keep going.”

They walked silently for the next few minutes.

For some unknown reason, everything around them was very quiet - the street, even the whole city seemed to be covered with silence. The only sounds they heard were the patting of falling snow and the distant melody of some unknown carol.

There were several houses from their flat when the blonde man suddenly knelt and started doing something out of the snow.

“Ash? What are you doing? A snowman? Not that I mind but-”

“That’s not it. Don’t look.”

“Then what? Are you trying to pick a snowball fight with me?” Eiji tried to look over the other’s shoulder but Ash blocked him the view.

“Be more patient, Nii-chan.”

“Hmph,” Eiji walked away from Aslan, still pouting his lips.

After a moment, Ash was ready with his mysterious work. He walked over to Eiji with one hand behind his back.

“Close your eyes and pull one hand out.”

“I have no idea what you’re planning to do but if you want to trick me-”

“I’m not. Just trust me, okay?”

“…Okay.” After a moment of hesitation, Eiji closed his eyes and dug out his hands obediently.

A moment later, a cold shape landed in his hands. The raven-haired man immediately opened his eyes and, to his great surprise, he saw a small heart made of snow.

“Ash, that’s so cute!” Eiji was looking at this unexpected gift with sparkling eyes and beaming smile. “But if I keep it in my hands, it will quickly melt so maybe I should put it on the ground?”

“Just let it melt. But don’t let it out of your hands.”

“But Ash-”

“Geez, it’s just snow. Come on, we should hurry.”

They were already in front of their home when Eiji finally spoke. “Look, it’s almost gone.” It was true; only a melted lump was left from Ash’s gift. “I shouldn’t have listened to you, maybe then-”

Suddenly, the raven-haired man felt silent.

Ash, who had been walking a few steps ahead of Eiji, now turned and stood in front of the other one. For a moment neither of them said anything.

The gold ring shone brightly in the melted snow on Eiji’s hand – the view that completely stunned the Japanese and left him at a loss for words.

“I've been wondering for some time already,” Aslan finally spoke, “how should I do it and what should I say while giving it to you. But in the end.. everything went not exactly as I planned. And I still haven’t found the proper words to convey my feelings for you.”

“But even if it is so imperfect and hasty,” Ash knelt before Eiji, bending slightly his head, “all I know now is that I really want to give you a present that you’ll remember next year, and the year after that, and the next too. And so on. Something that could link us even beyond the time. I may seem greedy asking for such a thing but-” Ash's voice trembled as he spoke these words, “Eiji, can you promise to stay with me forever?”

The blonde man was too afraid to raise his head. He was afraid that if he did it, he would see the disappointment in Eiji's eyes. Or maybe regret. And possible rejection.

Instead, he felt a small movement and before he could react, Eiji was also kneeling in front of him. There was something really tender in the way the other man looked at Ash; tender enough to make Aslan forget about all his useless fears.

“You once told me that you won’t ask me for forever. And, to tell the truth, I was pretty disappointed back then. Because I’ve actually wanted it all along. Since our first meeting, I’ve already decided that I won’t ever leave your side. And now you’re asking me this and I-”, small droplets ran down Eiji's face. Ash didn’t know whether these were tears or just melted snowflakes. But he was fine with not knowing. “I could’ve never been happier.”

“Then, can I consider this answer as a “yes”?”

Eiji nodded his head, allowing the other to put a ring on his finger. A moment later he did the same for Ash. Their hands trembled so much that this task was a bit difficult, but in the end they succeeded and two gold rings were glimmering lightly on their fingers.

“It's too dark to see it now but there’s one word engraved on our rings,” Ash held Eiji's hands in his, warming them. “Do you want me to tell you what word is it or can you already guess?”

“I think I know this word. It’s “forever”, right?” It was the only word that truly matched their promise.

Ash didn’t answer. He just pulled Eiji closer and kissed him.

It was a gloomy and nippy day at the end of December. Their cheeks were cold and their lips were trembling as they exchanged endless kisses. The world around them was painted white and black with snow. And yet for them, at that moment, everything on the whole street - the light of streetlight, snowflakes falling over everything, shoddy Christmas decorations - seemed to be like a small miracles.

***

_“You know what, Ash? It was wonderful.”_

_“Today?”_

_“Today too. But also yesterday. And 40 years ago too. Always.”_

_“Geez, you’ll never change. Always saying such an embarrassing things so damn straightforward.”_

_“But Ash, you’re blushing.”_

_“I’m not.”_

_“You are.”_

_“I’m not.”_

_Eiji laughed and laid his head on Ash's shoulder. “Seems like you’ll never change too,” he thought to himself._

_“I’m so happy, sitting with you here like that and talking about nothing. I could even die just like this and I would still-”_

_Hearing those words, Aslan moved abruptly and grabbed the other’s wrists. Eiji could clearly see how much the blonde man was pissed off._

_“You-” Ash said, his voice trembling a bit from all those emotions. “Don’t you dare to say anything like that again! If you ever leave me, I’ll never forgive you!”_

_The raven-haired man tried to stroke Ash’s hair but the other just shook his hand._

_“I’m being serious here!”_

_“I know. Me too.” Eiji tried to calm Ash down. “I won’t be going anywhere from here. Nor do I want to go anywhere else.” He whispered, looking into the jade-like eyes._

_They sat in silence for a moment. The only sound in the whole room was the quiet ticking of the clock, the hands slowly approaching midnight._

_Ash’s grip on Eiji’s hands somehow became much stronger. He embraced the Japanese and hugged him tightly._

_Eiji suddenly felt very sleepy. As he was about to fall asleep, a sudden thought crossed his mind, making him smile._

_“And if a day comes when we’ll have to let go of each other, I’m sure that even then.. I’ll follow you anywhere.”_

 

_The midnight found them sleeping on the small, old couch in their dark apartment. They were hugging, as if trying to protect each other from the coldness of the December night. Outside, the snow was covering every street and every building in a white clothing._

_And just like this.. Christmas has passed once again._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo^ All i want for Christmas is happiness for Eiji and Ash. That's why i wrote this fanfic. Thanks for reading until the end <3  
> This chapter was the hardest for me to write for so many different reasons (it was kinda difficult to recreate this warm, fluffy Christmas atmosphere while i actually spend this time of a year eating instant soups, re-watching hxh and loling at my life xd) but.. it's still my fav chapter. You can probably guess why it's like that.  
> Anyway, Merry Christmas y'all  
> I have plans to write some other stories so.. see you soon!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello guys!  
> This is actually not only my first fanfic, but also the first story that i'm (hopefully.. -_-) going to finish.
> 
> To tell the truth, I write very rarely and my experience is equal to zero - that's why some parts of this story and vocabulary i used might sometimes look a bit.. odd? Also, english is not my native language and i struggled a lot with all those past tenses - i probably made some mistakes along the way, for which I apologise ;/ But still, I hope you enjoyed reading, at least a bit.


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